Despite hurrying, Castle still managed to arrive at the scene within twenty minutes, just in time to encounter Lanie, who was on duty examining the body.
"Hey, beautiful Lanie, good evening..."
Castle greeted Lanie flirtatiously as she stepped out of the medical examiner's van with a case. In response, the beautiful black medical examiner gave him an eye roll.
"Running into you this late, you really are 'dedicated,' writer!"
Lanie shot back at Castle, who just chuckled and followed her into the cordoned-off area.
Esposito and Ryan were briefing Beckett on the discovery of the case. "A few hours ago, this car was towed here because it had been parked illegally for a long time. When the lot manager went to check the car's identification number, they found the body inside."
As soon as Castle entered and saw the car and the body, he recalled the details of this case. If he remembered correctly, the victim was a plastic surgeon who had been tortured and killed by a mob assassin after altering the appearance of a witness in a witness protection program. The killer had even stolen a nurse's identity to infiltrate the victim's clinic.
Pushing these thoughts aside for now, Castle pretended to be ignorant and walked over to the car, listening to Esposito's briefing.
In the driver's seat, the victim's head was covered with a plastic bag, and his neck was bound with duct tape. After a preliminary examination, Lanie concluded, "The victim has been dead for over a week. Initial findings suggest he died from asphyxiation, and the plastic bag on his head was the murder weapon. Also, all his fingers are broken, indicating he was tortured before his death. That's all I can say for now; I'll know more after the autopsy."
Castle listened to Lanie's report and then clicked his tongue at the car's windshield. "Six parking tickets and a tow tag. How could no one have looked inside the car for so many days?"
Esposito, while noting Lanie's findings, turned to Castle and chatted, "The windows are tinted, and there's a sunshade on the windshield. Who would want to peek inside? In this city, people mind their own business and don't meddle."
Beckett added, "Welcome to New York, the city of illusions!"
Castle listened with interest as Beckett and her team brainstormed at the scene.
Beckett learned from Lanie that the victim had been tortured before death, evidenced by his broken fingers. Ryan found the victim's ID, identifying him as Joshua Leeds, a plastic surgeon. His belongings were untouched, including a wallet with several hundred dollars, suggesting robbery was not the motive.
Frowning in thought, Beckett murmured, "If it wasn't a robbery and his office is across the city from where the car was parked, this is definitely a murder. But why torture him? Did this plastic surgeon have some secret?"
Hearing Beckett's musings, Castle seized the opportunity to steer the investigation. "Look, his fingers are all broken, but the plastic bag isn't punctured. This means his hands were bound when he died. This method of binding the victim and then asphyxiating them with a plastic bag is very distinctive. It sounds like something a mob would do, possibly to send a message or assert their position. I once researched for a Derrick Storm novel and met a gang leader. He told me about a family hitman in New York who used this method, but I can't recall which family or hitman it was. Still, I'm sure this murder was committed by a mob to extract information or a secret."
Castle's insights, as expected, stunned Beckett, Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie. Lanie looked at Castle in surprise. "You're not joking, right, writer?"
Beckett, however, didn't immediately question Castle's statement. Over their time working together, she had grown to trust Castle's often surprising insights. His broad network and extensive knowledge had proven valuable in many investigations.
Beckett's eyes lit up as she looked at Castle. "Can you remember which family or hitman your friend mentioned?"
Seeing Beckett take the bait, Castle smirked internally, pretending to ponder. "Back when I was researching for a Derrick Storm novel, I befriended a gang leader. We talked about this casually. It's been years, and I barely remember. It's impressive I recalled this much."
Beckett pressed, "Can you find that friend again?"
"Of course..." Castle saw Beckett's urgency and decided not to tease her further. "I can visit his bar tomorrow morning."
Beckett's eyes brightened. "Then I'll go with you in the morning!"
"No way, you're a cop. These people won't talk to cops!"
Castle promptly refused Beckett's suggestion. In the original storyline, Castle did get information from a gang leader at a bar. But now, knowing everything, he didn't need to make the trip. He could just sleep in and provide the necessary information later, claiming it came from his friend. Why make an unnecessary trip? Plus, Beckett being a cop would indeed hinder getting information from gang members, a fact even Esposito, formerly of the gang unit, acknowledged with a nod.
Esposito seriously told Beckett, "Castle's right. Gang leaders won't divulge secrets to cops, even gossip or idle talk. Doing so would seem like betrayal, isolating them from other gang members. If Castle says his friend will only talk to him, let him go alone."
Beckett, accepting the advice from her experienced subordinate, agreed. "Okay, but be careful."
Castle nodded, "I will. Don't worry, I'll bring back all the information you need."
With that, Castle felt a rush of satisfaction. Beckett's trust and Sean's approval had given him confidence. While he still had room to grow strategically, he knew he was on the right path and had the support he needed to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
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